Count On Us
by LenniluvsBrian
Summary: Can April really count on the turtles to save her when she needs it the most?Yes, shocking I wrote about April O'Neil. Only took me a year to write it, though it's short. Enjoy!


A.N.: Anything in _italics_ is the song. The rest of it is the fic. The song breaks it up some. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Only own story idea. TMNT people own everything else. Thank-you!

_There's a rumble starting underground_

_You know we're on our way_

_Move like the night so that we can't be found_

_Coming to save the day_

News reporter April O'Neil was walking home from work late one evening, when she was suddenly surrounded by thugs.

"Hey lady, give us your purse," the one snarled.

"Make me," April replied, clutching her purse vastly to her chest.

"Oh, we'll make yah alright," another one smirked.

"Get her!" A third one shouted.

April swung her purse at them, hitting them with it as best she could. She hit one right where it counts and managed to escape momentarily. She ran, only to be knocked down by the thugs, as they tackled her.

"Gotcha lady!" They chirped happily.

There was rumble below them then, signaling that a subway train had just past down beneath them.

April gulped slightly, wishing that her friends would hurry up and arrive already.

_April you know we're with you_

_And that you'll be okay_

"Hey, anyone heard from April today?" Donatello asked. "I've been trying to contact her on the turtle com, but she's not answering."

"Maybe she's in the shower, Dude," Michaelangelo answered. "She is a chic and all. And yanno how they are."

"No we don't, Mikey," Leonardo answered. "She's the only female we know."

"Oh, yeah," Michaelangelo smiled sheepishly. "I forgot."

"Can we can the chit-chat and just go out and bust some heads?" Raphael piped up finally. "It beats standing around here, listening to you three."

"Raph has a point," Leonardo agreed. "If we go topside, we stand a better chance of finding her, rather than if we stay down here and wait for her to call."

"Let's go then," Donatello said.

The four green mutant turtles left the lair then, to go find their friend - and maybe bust some heads along the way.

_We are four brothers who know what is right_

_Four ninja brothers ready to fight_

"You know, this is getting ridiculous," Leonardo said, after having had knocked out some Foot soldiers. "Every time we turn around, there's always somebody new to fight."

"And you're complaining?" Raphael asked, raising an eye ridge.

"Yes, I am," Leonardo replied.

"Dudes, long as it keeps Raphie from killing the T.V., I'm down with it," Michaelangelo piped up.

Raphael glared. "Do NOT call me Raphie!"

"Raphie! Raphie! Raphie!" Michaelangelo taunted. "Hehe."

"MIKEY!" Raph yelled, chasing after his brother.

"You do know, they're going to attract more Foot, right?" Donatello pointed out to his blue-masked brother.

Leonardo groaned, rolling his eyes. "Yes, I know. They always do. I swear they don't know how to keep quiet. Michaelangelo especially."

"Well, least he knows how to fend for himself," Donatello replicated.

"Yeah, but still. He's the baby of the family, and lives up to it too often and much for my liking."

"Aw Leo, he'll be fine. Raph'll kill anyone who goes after Mikey," Donatello reminded him. "You know he loves Mikey more than he lets on."

"Yeah, I know," Leonardo sighed. "Let's go find them. And unlike them, we'll be silent."

Donatello snickered and followed his brother.

_Shredder get ready 'cause you're going down_

_Look out because the turtles are in town_

"Well, it's been fun guys," Raphael said bitterly, once him and his baby brother were cornered.

"Even me Raph?"

"Even you Mikey. Especially you."

Michaelangelo instinctively moved closer to his brother in red. The two had been surrounded by Shredder's Elite Guard, and the Shredder himself. Figures they'd get caught when being too loud above ground.

Raphael felt Michaelangelo move closer to him, and cast a sideways glance at his little brother. "I love yah, Knucklehead," he told him telepathically.

"I know Raphie," Michaelangelo replied silently. "I love you too."

Raphael smiled to himself, as he did know just how much his little brother loved him. And that was why he purposely moved in front of him, as they were surrounded. He'd protect his little brother until the very end.

"Hey! Shredder!" A voice called out then. "Why don't you pick on the four of us?"

Everyone looked to where the voice had come from, only to see Leonardo and Donatello jump down from a rooftop.

"Well, well, well. Looks like I'm going to have my turtle stew after all," Shredder smiled - though no one could see.

It was while everyone was distracted that Raphael took the chance to escape.

"HI-YAH!" He yelled loudly, attacking the Elite Guard in front of him. "Take that, yah Slimeball!"

Michaelangelo laughed as he followed his brother's lead.

"You're going down, Shred-Head," Donatello told their arch nemesis.

"You and what army?" Shredder laughed loudly.

"This army," a new voice spoke.

"Splinter!" Shredder hissed.

"Master Splinter!" The turtles exclaimed, surprised to see him there.

"Go Sensei! Go Sensei! Go! Go! Go Sensei!" Michaelangelo cheered, as he knocked some Foot Soldiers down.

August 12th, 2006

_April you know we're with you_

_And that you'll be okay_

April O'Neil was now running from the Purple Dragons, who'd been trying to mug her earlier. She'd somehow managed to escape for the time being and was high tailing it out of there as fast as she possibly could. She was breathing heavy as she dove behind a huge dumpster, hoping to keep hidden.

"Phew," she breathed quietly, as she heard them all run by. Her heart rate quickened though, when she realized they were now searching the alley she was hidden in and she had no ways of escape. She peeked out cautiously, then ducked back before any of them could see her. There were more of them now, which meant she had even less of a chance escaping than she had before. She was starting to think that unless a miracle would happen, they'd eventually find her and she would be toast – burnt toast.

_You gotta fight to be free_

_You gotta fight for what is right_

_You gotta fight to be free_

_But we need your help tonight_

_You know we can make it right_

"Come back here, yah freak!" Raphael yelled after Shredder, who was now making his elaborate escape. "What? Four mutant turtles an' a rat too much for yah to handle?"

"Let him go, Raph," Leonardo told his brother, placing a hand on the red-masked turtle's shoulder. "He's not worth it. We need to keep searching for April."

"Indeed we must," Master Splinter agreed. "Come. And be silent!"

Michaelangelo looked a bit sheepish at that, as he skillfully followed his father and brothers off into the shadows to continue their search.

"Hey guys?" Donatello piped up after a while. "You know, if she turned her turtle com on, I might be able to locate her with the transmitter I put in it."

"Why didn't yah think of that _before_, Donnie?" Raphael grumbled. "Coulda saved us some embarrassment."

"Was too busy tryin' to save your shell, Raphael," Donatello replied, fishing out his turtle com and bringing up the transmitter signals.

_When you're callin'_

_You can count on us_

_You feel like you're fallin'_

_You can count on us_

_No need to be afraid_

_You can count on us_

April was still hidden behind the dumpster, daring to peek out every so often to see just where the gang members were. It was during this time she suddenly remembered she'd her turtle com on her, and decided she'd best turn it on – though, she was unaware of the transmitter inserted in it at the time.

"Guys," she hissed softly into it. "I need you! I'm at the corner of 53rd trapped in an alley!"

"Well, well, Lookie what we have here," a voice said then.

_Wherever you are_

_You know that we're never far_

"I got her!" Donatello exclaimed. He'd been worried when he'd lost April as she'd contacted them while he was tinkering with his turtle com. "She's near the corner of 53rd Street!"

"Let's go!" Raphael stated, immediately taking off.

"We will take to the rooftops!" Master Splinter said firmly, after flipping about and landing in front of his hot-headed son. "It is safer that way."

Raphael stopped quickly as to not crash into his Sensei, and took off quickly for a nearby fire escape.

The other three turtles quickly took off after them, knowing they didn't have a minute to waste if April was in trouble.

_You gotta fight to be free_

April's eyes had gone wide when she'd looked up only to find a Purple Dragon staring down at her smirking evilly. She knew she had to react – and fast!

"Hey!" The thug cried as he went toppling backwards after she'd done a side swipe ground kick, knowing his feet out from under him. It'd been one of the few moves she'd been taught already in her ninjitsu lessons.

"You think I'm going to just _let_ you take me? Well, you're _wrong_!" April shouted, standing up, her turtle com lying forgotten on the ground behind the dumpster. She got into her fighting stance, not bothering to make sure it was proper so that she'd keep her balance. There was no time for technicalities – no matter how important balance may be.

"Get her!" The head Purple Dragon shouted.

April began to defend herself as best she could, as they all attacked at once. This way, she wouldn't have a chance at all of beating them – not that she would've been able to anyway.

_When you're in trouble_

_Don't know where to turn_

_Looks like it's come to an end_

_Just hang on because you're going to learn_

_That you can count on your friends_

April kicked and struggled as she was held by two Purple Dragons, a few inches off the ground. "Let me go!" She cried, doing her best to try and escape.

"Now, why would we do that, huh?" One asked. "We could make a lotta money if we use yah to bait them blasted turtle freaks."

"Yah think by now yah'd know not to call us _freaks_," a voice snarled somewhere in the shadows. "Now yah gonna hafta pay for bein' stupid."

"Who said that?" One guy demanded.

The turtles stepped out of the shadows then, causing the Purple Dragons to look a little surprised.

"What? Were you expecting Santa Claus, or the Easter Bunny, maybe?" Michaelangelo joked. "'Cause yanno all we hafta do is put on Santa hats or bunny ears, and we could be 'em for yah… Then maybe yah won't look so surprised…"

"Shaddup, Mikey!" Raphael growled. "Let's get this thing started, shall we?"

"Get 'em!" The Purple Dragon leader shouted, his fellow gang members immediately attacking.

_No one can stop us once the fight's begun_

_Ain't gonna stop until the Foot's undone_

_We gotta let the music be_

"Hey, this is kinda fun!" Michaelangelo exclaimed side-stepping one of the gang members, causing the thug to fall to the ground in a heap. "They're so half-witted they dunno what's hittin' 'em!"

"Kinda like you, eh, Mikey?" Raphael commented dryly.

"Hey! _Not_ funny, Raph!" Michaelangelo said, frowning slightly. "But yanno, they're kinda as hot-headed as _you_."

"Shaddup Mikey! Don't make me beat yah after I'm through with these punks!" Raphael warned him.

"Sensei won't letcha, Raphie!" Michaelangelo pointed out midst laughing while knocking down another punk.

"Guys! Stay focused!" Leonardo yelled. "You're s'pose to be ninja!"

Donatello rolled his eyes at his brothers as he fought knowing Master Splinter was still hidden up on the rooftop above watching over them. He was fighting, but adding some dance moves into it just to spice things up a bit. Hey, why not? A ninja was allowed to get creative, right? So why not do so during battle? It _was_ the perfect opportunity after all.

_You gotta fight to be free_

_You gotta fight for what is right_

_You gotta fight to be free_

_But we need your help tonight_

_You know we can make it right_

Finally the last Purple Dragon had been knocked down, others having had taken off at top speed for what they figured to be safety. All was quiet once more, well, as quiet as can be in New York City.

"You okay, April?" Leonardo asked as he helped her up. "They didn't hurt you or anything, did they?"

"Leo, it's obvious they did," Raphael snapped. "She'd got a fat lip."

"It's nothing, really," April said softly, feeling somewhat ashamed that they had to come and save her _again_.

"Hey, it was nothing," Leonardo told her, having had read her thoughts. "We're your friends. It's our job to keep you safe."

"Besides, when else are yah gonna see Raphie get all excited about somethin'?" Michaelangelo quipped, only to be whapped upside the head by his red wearing brother. "Ow!"

"Served yah right, Mikey," Donatello chuckled. "You've been asking for that all night."

"I have not!" Michaelangelo whined, only to have Raphael whap him again. "Ow! I'm tellin' Sensei!"

"Pfft. An' what's he gonna do about it?" Raphael scoffed, only to be whacked by a cane. "Ow! Hey!"

Michaelangelo laughed. "Told yah Sensei wouldn't letcha."

Master Splinter whacked Michaelangelo next, who gave a third cry of pain. "Enough. We must get Ms. O'Neil to safety before they come back with reinforcements."

"Master Splinter's right," Leonardo agreed. "It's not safe out here."

"Ha. When is it _ever_, Leo?" Raphael retorted, rubbing his head some. "C'mon, Mikey. We'll take the rear so we can keep an eye on things."

"Right with yah, Raphie!" Michaelangelo exclaimed, running after his brother.

"They're just takin' the rear to avoid Sensei's walking stick," Donatello smiled, shaking his head. "C'mon April, I can fix you up at the lair."

_We're the turtles_

_You can count on us_

_Ninja turtles_

_You can count on us_

_We're the turtles_

_You can count on us_

_Ninja turtles_

_You can count on us_

Once at the lair, Donatello checked April over for any serious injuries, though it appeared she'd only a fat lip and black eye, plus some other minor bruises and cuts that would heal in no time.

"You were lucky this time, April," Donatello told her. "If it hadn't have been for the transmitter in your turtle com, we'd never have found you. You cut off before we could get the exact location."

"Well, it's not my fault they spotted me just as I said 53rd Street," April argued somewhat. She gave a yawn. "Boy, am I ever tired. I think I'm ready to hit the hay."

"You'll stay here tonight," Leonardo told her firmly. "We don't need anything happening to you once home and alone."

April was going to protest, but decided not too, knowing she'd never win this argument – she never did. "Fine, I'll stay here. Besides, I think I'm too tired to head home anyways."

_Wherever you are_

_You know that we're never far_

Leonardo covered April's sleeping form that lay on the couch up with a blanket. She'd fallen asleep shortly after being released from the infirmary and deciding to watch a bit of television before bed. She was their guest, so of course they complied.

"We'll always protect you, April. _No_ matter what. It's a matter of honour and loyalty now," Leonardo whispered softly, stating the truth. They loved their friend enough to do whatever it took to keep her safe. She was their source of information on the outside, so to speak. She helped keep them informed of what was going on up top in New York City, seeing as she was a nosy reporter who loved to snoop. Her snooping usually being why they had to rescue her in the first place.

"Yanno, one day, we're not gonna be there to save her, Leo," Raphael piped up, having had watched his brother cover the sleeping red-head. "One day we're gonna be too late, or just not gonna be around."

"I know," Leonardo sighed. "That's the day I dread most."

Raphael nodded. "I dread that – and the day New Yorkers realize they got big ole mutant ninja turtles livin' down in their sewers."

"Let's hope they never do, Raphael," Leonardo replied, before stiffening his posture once more and heading off to bed.

Raphael shook his head, then headed off for bed himself, too exhausted to go out bar hopping with Casey tonight.

_You gotta fight to be free_


End file.
